Improved mode of operating car-brakes



W. LOUGHRIDGE.

. Car Brake.

Patented Apr.. 12, 1864.

Witnesses= lnventor,

AM. PHUTO-LITH O. CO. N-Y- (DSBURNE'S PROCESS.)

Nrrnn STATES ATENT enient.

IMPROVED MODE OF OPERATING CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,301, dated April 12, 1854.

T0 (1% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,\'VILLIAM LOUGHRIDGE, of Weverton, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Operating Gar- Brakes and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, said drawing being a side view' To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the lower part or flooring ot'a railroad-car which is provided with trucks, and running'gear generally, in the ordinary way. To the under side of this flooring, or to the timbers thereof, at about the center of the car, there are attached pendants or hangers B B, which support a longitudinal bar, 0, which may be about six (6) feet long, nine (9) inches wide, and four (4) inches thick. In the horizontal bar 0 there are fitted standards I) D, having pulleys E at their upper ends and pulleys F at their lower ends. The standards D are allowed to rock or work freel y on the bar C, and the main or continuous chain G, through which and rods II steam power is applied to the brakes, passes around and over the pulleys F E,as shown clearly in the drawing.

1 represents the swinging lovers of a handbrake, such as is known as Hodges Equal izing-Brake. Other hand-brakes, however, may be used. The rod J, which connects these levers I, is divided or a piece taken out and the ends of said rods connected to the upper ends of the'standards D D, and the ends of the rods J, or the top of the standards D D, are connected by a chain, K, (one or more,) so placed or arranged as not to interfere with the chain G when the former is slaekened and allowed to drop.

From the above description it will be seen that when the steam-power is applied through the rods H and chain Gto operate the brakes the standards D D will be forced toward each other and will actuate the rods J of the handbrake, which, through the medium of the swinging levers I and their connections, cause the brakes to be applied; and itwill also be seen that manual power may be applied simultaneously with the steam-power by operating the usual brake-rods, L, at the ends of the ear, and also that the brakes may be relieved at any time by operating the handbrake when the SIQILHI'POWLI is applied to it.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i s- The swinging standards D D, arranged with the main or continuous chain G, and combined with the rods J and chain K of the hand-brake in the manner substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

WM. LOUGHRIDGE.

Witnesses:

J. W. OooMns, Geo. W. tnED. 

